Kids Go Bush: Empowering young people through play

The Y Kids Go Bush connects children to experience adventure and nature, both during the term and in the holidays.

Knowing that being outside is good for us, and that play is fundamental to children’s healthy development, the program offers a range of experiences from parent supported playgroups, through primary years to with a child older youth focused adventure play and Forest Skills sessions.

The Y Kids Go Bush programs centers on a play-based, nature-based, strengths-based, and child-led philosophy on learning with the aim to develop personal, emotional, social

and technical skills in life and the outdoors. While each day or session is different, with a varietry of skill based activities and themes, there is also time for freely chosed, personally directed and intrinsically motived play in all groups.

At Forest Skills sessions, young people attend without their guardians for a day of creative, collabrative and community-led fun with a child-focused and unscheduled timeframe allowing development of real life skills, learning by doing and critical thinking.

The aims of Y Forest Skills sessions are for young people to;

• Get access to natural “wild” spaces
• Develop an understanding of safety and preparedness in the bush
• Develop a connection with the natural world and instill a love of nature and the outdoors through nature play principles, and
• Become environmental stewards for the future health of our planet.
• At Bush Playgroup, families come together to share the joy of discovery with a supporting family member and siblings.

While mud, insects and log balancing are favorite activities, the aim of Y bush playgroup sessions are for children and families to:

• Develop a deep conection with the natural environment and each other
• Explore safe and interesting area full of indigenous biodiversity
• Provide holistic childhood development opportunities
• Learn new skills through interest based topics
• Learn about the local environment, weather and ecology
• Develop social competence and independence
• Develop community skills, and
• Have lots of fun outdoors

So look at the weather, grab your beanie or your sun hat and join in for some outdoor fun and adventure to help empower young people and communities to build a just, sustainable, equitable and inclusive world, where every person can thrive in body, mind and spirit.

Bookings are now open for the programs and can be found online at ymcavic.venue360.me/public/events/homepage

For more information, phone YMCA Anglesea Recreation Camp on 52631512 or email [email protected], or head to the Facebook page

@YMCA Kids Go Bush